Abreu doesn't have any hard feelings about his release, reports Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. “There’s not really any bitterness — it’s just a tough situation here,” Abreu said. “I’m going to wait and see what happens. I’m going to talk to my agent, make some calls, see who’s interested. I’m going to keep working and be ready.”

The Angels released the wrong player in dropping Abreu and keeping Vernon Wells, opines Fangraphs' Paul Swydan. Abreu is set to earn $9MM in 2012 while Wells is owed $63MM through 2014 but Wells' contract is already "a sunk cost." Swydan argues that Abreu is better suited for a pinch-hit role than Wells and, as a left-handed bat, Abreu brought balance to an otherwise right-handed Angels outfield.

Comments

The Angels’ busy Friday (releasing Abreu, calling up Mike Trout and elevating Scott Downs to the closer’s job over Jordan Walden) is a sign that the team is already feeling the pressure of high preseason expectations, writes ESPN Los Angeles’ Mike Saxon.

Is Walden really the problem out there? At first I didn’t think he was, then I decided to look at his stats. Then I took notice of his 8.31 ERA and I was like that is not good. Then I broke the stats down to a game by game basis and took notice that he’s had only two bad games. One against the A’s, which was a game they were going to lose anyway. Then one against the Rays where he took the loss. To get the hook after two bad games and giving it to Scott Downs is silly and quite frankly not showing a lot patience, nor good judgement.

There’s a couple of problems out there.
Moreno likes to throw money out the window
Their GM is inexperienced.
Mike Scioscia is not using good judgement.This is not a recipe for success.

Don’t blame Soioscia for the problems because as i see its the GM. To many old players who had career years getting fat contracts. If they resign Hunter that will be another one. Second the bullpen besides Downs is very hittable. Gone are the days of a great bullpen. Pujols was a stupid signing in can one bat be the difference and why pay a guy who is at the peak to a long term deal. In 5 years his stats will be nowhere they once were. Look at Arod he is on the downside now.

You have to look back to last season too. I don’t think if his struggles were isolated to just a handful of games this season, we’d be looking at Walden being demoted. Downs was the strongest pitcher out of the bullpen last year, and he’s picking up where he left off this year. In a close game in the 9th inning I feel much more confident having the best reliever out there.

You are right that this move isn’t really going to fix the team, but it is a small step in the right direction.

Problem with Walden is he’s not pitching enough. He needs more action and by using him earlier they’ll get him in more regularly. The “improper” usage of your best reliever, saving him for save situations only…

Jones can play defense and hit well with power last season. Thirty plate appearances is hardly enough to justify replacing him with someone who cannot field and has shown no signs of extra-base power over his last 600 plate appearances. Now that pitchers realize they can throw fastball strikes past Abreu his walks are going to drop off and his ability to get on base at an above average clip will disappear.

I could see them taking a flyer on him with a minor league contract but nothing more.

This is one team that does need to acquire a good reliever and has a solid playoff chance. Grand “Ball-Four”, who never cared for as a Ray could be had more than likely when the A’s come down to earth in another couple of weeks, but would Beane be willing to send him to Anaheim and if he did, would he want more from Anaheim?

Teams that should be interested in bringing in Abreu, at the pro-rated league
minimum, include the Rays, Tigers, Braves, Red Sox, White Sox, Reds, Dodgers, Phillies, Giants, Blue Jays, and Nationals.

He would be a starterplatoon playerroster upgrade on every one of these teams, and at the league minimum would be a bargain. All of these teams have legitimate chances of making the postseason as well.

The Yankees don’t need him with Ibanez and Jones. He would be an upgrade over Chavez but that would leave the yanks with 3 OFDH and only one IF on the bench.

Angels have too many outfielders. I think they’d be better off trading Peter Bourjous. Torii’s contract is done after this year, and they should let him leave no matter what, move Wells to RF, Trout in CF, and Mark Trumbo in LF.

Bourjous is awesome defensively, but you have Mike Trout, who do you prefer? Ideally you would trade Wells, but nobody is gonna take him at his current contract, that’s why you’re previous GM was fired. So that leaves trading Bourjous.

O’flaherty is good, had an ERA under 1 in 74 innings last year. Joey is a switch hitting 3B prospect who can swing it, and Eric Hinske is a lefty bat utility man that could play 1B, 3B, LF, and RF.

Bourjous would provide CF depth for Atlanta which they need because Bourn is a free agent after this year, and they never have money to keep the good stuff. Jepsen a reliever that needs a change of scenary, and Macier Izturiz could become the every day SS, or play 3B when Chipper needs a day off